Prime Minister says a national leader does not have ego, arrogance and anger n Calls for national unity to tackle challenges, attain fiscal stability.
ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday admitted before the Senate that the recent inflation and tough conditions for the common people were a result of the bold decisions taken by his government but good days were not too far.
Speaking at the Upper House’s special session, the premier said his government decided to save the country and took tough decision at the cost of political interests.
“There is always light at the end of the tunnel if you are committed with the cause,” he said. PM Shehbaz said that they took power at a time when the country was facing economic challenges.
Criticising the last PTI government, he said it had negotiated and signed an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but did not adhere to it. He blamed the government of former prime minister Imran Khan for the present economic mess.
He said that the PTI government flouted the terms and conditions made with the international lender. “This not only damaged Pakistan’s image, and confidence in the eyes of IMF but also before all other financial institutions.”
The premier said that his government had two choices - one to dole out funds like the previous regime did and the other path was showing highest level of responsibility, maturity and statesmanship.
He said the coalition government decided through a consultative process to adopt the path, which protects the state. He said that IMF had not pointed towards political instability in Pakistan during the talks. “But they are not blind and are seeing what is happening,” he underlined.
He indirectly pointing towards PTI said the political leadership in the past used to sit together in the larger national interest but the situation was different today.
“A national leader does not have ego, arrogance, and anger,” he said. The PM called for national unity among the political leadership to address the country’s challenges.
He told the session, also attended by the diplomatic corps, that the staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was expected to reach soon as the country had accepted even the toughest conditions. “Let us brighten the future of Pakistan. We should strive and not conspire, remove hurdles instead of creating more, unite the nation instead of creating division,” the prime minister advised.
He recalled the historic incidents of the 1965 and 1971 wars, and the war against terrorism when the whole nation exhibited unity to overcome the challenges. He expressed his gratitude to the friendly countries for extending support after the unprecedented floods hit Pakistan. The imported inflation created by the Ukraine war in form of surged oil, gas, food and fertiliser prices added up to the woes of developing countries like Pakistan.
He told the session that the previous government had signed and flouted an agreement with the IMF undermining Pakistan’s trust and making the 220 million people bear its brunt. He said to satisfy his ego, ex-prime minister Imran Khan refused to sit with his opposition even during the challenging circumstances of COVID-19, and confrontation with India and also ridiculed his idea of the Charter of Economy. He said currently he was going in total defiance of the national institutions, including the judiciary and promoting the politics of agitation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, the then opposition leaders were implicated in false cases but they neither uttered a word against the institutions nor violated the laws.